Eaton Leys, Flood Compensation Area, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. Archaeological Watching Brief

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned to undertake archaeological mitigation work at Eaton Leys, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire Six areas occupying 2.95 ha in total were investigated by means of strip, map and sample excavation. The most significant remains were in Area A and Area D. Area A contained ditches forming droveways and a co-axial field system. These appear to be LIA/ERB in date, and would have formed part of the hinterland of the former Roman town of Magiovinium, which lies just to the north of the excavated area. Area D contained a cremation cemetery containing over 30 burials. The majority had been placed in urns of early/middle Saxon manufacture. The majority of the finds assemblage comprises Late Iron Age/Romano-British pottery - other material types are not well represented, and are in generally poor condition (particularly the animal bone). Of most interest are the human remains, pottery, metalwork and glass from urned and unurned Saxon cremation burials. Over 300 environmental samples were collected from a range of features, although in general, they are not particularly informative. The environmental remains recovered from the samples are dominated by wood charcoal; the majority originates from cremation-related deposits, and likely represents fuel for funeral pyres. In April 2020 Wessex Archaeology undertook an extension to the previous, strip, map and record area to accommodate a subsequent design change. Two areas were opened to extend the pump station footprint and realign its service trench and a small rectangular area was opened to accommodate the substation. The areas are centred on NGR 488839 233273 and covered 232m�. The larger extension to the pumping station area revealed the continuation of the Late Iron Age/ Romano-British co-axial grid field system identified in the previous phase of works, and a pit and gully. The smaller pumping station area and substation contained no archaeological features. In September 2024, a watching brief monitored the construction of a flood compensation area to the west of the previously excavated areas. It covered 0.07 ha, and was centred on NGR 488732 233300. Very few archaeological remains were encountered, and they were limited to a pair of parallel features that possibly represented the truncated continuation of a ditch investigated during the excavation. The results of the work were published in the Records of Buckinghamshire Vol 62, 2022 . Dabill, H. EATON LEYS (MILTON KEYNES): AN EARLY ANGLO-SAXON CREMATION CEMETERY AND ROMANO-BRITISH FIELD SYSTEM WITH CONTEMPORARY CREMATION BURIALS ON THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF MAGIOVINIUM